More than half of small (58 per cent) businesses in the UK are expecting their best ever Christmas, as the pandemic shift towards online shopping means consumers are starting their Christmas shopping earlier and spending more. New research by TalkTalk Business found that two thirds (65 per cent) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) say shoppers have started their Christmas shopping earlier than usual, while 70 per cent say their regular customers are now completing their Christmas shopping with them online instead of in person.
This has led to a wave of optimism among small business owners:
- Six in ten (60 per cent) say their customers spend more with them if they shop online instead of in-person
- 71 per cent are confident that their online offering means they can have a strong Christmas even if restrictions are introduced over the winter
- Over half (50 per cent) expect their new year to be their most profitable
SMEs say digital acceleration during the pandemic has been crucial to their prospects of a profitable finish to 2021. 81 per cent had invested in their digital and online services during the pandemic, while 71 per cent expect to do all or the majority of their Christmas business online this year.
New TalkTalk Business network data shows just how significant the shift towards online shopping has become for SMEs. In 2020, internet usage by independent retailers increased by 52 per cent during the festive period. TalkTalk Business expects this to rise even further in 2021 as some consumers adopt an online-first approach for their Christmas shopping.
Alex Regan, distribution & finance controller at independent fashion retailer 304 Clothing, says the company is expecting record sales this Christmas: “Our business has changed dramatically over the past 18 months, with 80% of our domestic and global sales now coming through our website and mobile app. Retail is evolving and customers are shifting from shopping in-store to online channels due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Investing in our website and rolling out a new mobile app have been crucial to our growth. Looking at our sales, our customers have already started their Christmas shopping, so we anticipate this festive period to be our best ever.”
Although face to face commerce remains hugely important for small business, the push to make themselves more digitally accessible has been eagerly accepted by shoppers who prefer to undertake their Christmas shopping online:
- Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of consumers say all of their Christmas shopping with small businesses will be done online
- More than a third (38 per cent) of shoppers will avoid busy high streets this Christmas as they can’t social distance
- 37 per cent are steering clear of large crowds prior to seeing family.
Of the SME owners that made changes to their business, 60 per cent added new digital or online payment options, 55 per cent increased their online or digital marketing, and 31 per cent started offering home delivery/takeaway for products. More than half (56 per cent) say they are now in a better position to grow than pre-pandemic, while the same number (56 per cent) said the pandemic forced them to make changes to their business they should have made earlier.
With digital acceleration playing such a pivotal role in business transformation, it’s no surprise that 80 per cent of SMEs said that having access to fast, reliable broadband had been vital to their business operation during the pandemic, while 73 per cent said that their business’ dependence on broadband is only set to increase.
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